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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. chest — a box
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. board — a committee
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com